The Kwara State government has warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse to prevent flooding.

The state government warned in a statement jointly signed by Remilekun Banigbe, the Commissioner for Environment, and Rotimi Iliasu, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, in Ilorin.

“We appeal to citizens to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages and all waterways,” the government said.

It, however, sympathised with the residents of Ilorin whose houses were flooded due to the unusual downpour on Thursday night.

The government particularly commiserated with residents of the Pakatan area in Ilorin West Local Government Area, where a mud house caved in and killed a woman.

According to the statement, different teams of experts and administrators from the state Ministries of Environment and Works and Transport visited the affected areas to assess the situation and make recommendations.

The government had started taking proactive measures to attend to the Akerebiata bridge that had partially collapsed as a result of the downpour, it said. 

It attributed the floodings to the building of houses on waterways.

The government noted that no matter the number of drainages constructed, continuous indiscriminate dumping of refuse will constantly subject everyone to avoidable losses, hardship and embarrassment.

Therefore, it advised residents of Akerebiata and all other road users to use the alternative route of Gambari-Sobi road pending completion of the repair works on the bridge.

“The government regrets the inconveniences it might cause to everyone,” it stated. 

(NAN)